What are the immediate effects of alcohol abuse?

After several minutes to an hour of taking alcoholic drinks, a person may experience several immediate effects.

Impaired alertness

When driving or operating machineries, drinking alcohol can immediately affect one’s response to situations. A person’s reflexes tend to be slower when he or she has taken an alcoholic drink. A person who has gone beyond the alcohol limits may also be easily identified by the way they walk ans talk. This is the reason drivers who are suspected of drinking are asked to step down the vehicle and walk a straight line.

Accidents and assault

Because of the impairment of one’s mental alertness, a person who has drunk alcoholic drinks are more prone to accidents. They also tend to be more impatient when they have taken an alcoholic drink compared with when they are sober. They are also more likely to get into fights over petty things. Many date rapes and assaults are also linked with drug and alcohol abuse especially in college students.

Drug and alcohol interactions

Because of the interactions between alcohol and some drugs, it is important that a person refrains from taking alcoholic drinks when under medication. The presence of alcohol in the body may lessen the effect of drugs for various severe medical conditions. In certain cases, the presence of alcohol does the opposite. It increases the effects of the drugs, which may pose another danger to the patient and damage to internal organs. When under medication, it is necessary to ask your doctor and your pharmacist about the effects of alcohol on your medications. If unsure, it is better to stay away from alcoholic drinks until you have finished your medication and therapy.